Essay Guidelines
for all essays to be written within the BA German programme
The following guidelines will help you to write essays successfully and to present your ideas clearly
and persuasively.
All the essays which you have to write within the BA German programme must adhere to the
referencing system laid out below.
This system is based on principles widely used in the humanities and, in particular, in German
Studies. These guidelines will allow you to reference the vast majority of your sources
appropriately, but if cases arise where you are unsure how to reference a source correctly, please
consult your lecturer.
Language
Essays can usually be written in German or in English, unless you are instructed otherwise.
Format
Essays have to be printed on A4 paper, on one side only.
Font: Times New Roman, Font size: 12, 1,5 spacing
Do not forget page numbers!
Structure
The essay needs a clear structure, a coherent argument and an appropriate register (not colloquial).
It should consist of the following parts:
•
Cover page: your name, title of your essay, course details,name of supervisor, contact
details
•
Introduction:
The introduction is your first contact with the reader – make him/her curious, briefly
introduce your topic and provide a short overview of the structure of your essay. The
introduction should address the following questions:
1. What is the topic of the essay?
2. What specific question does it raise?
3. What material is analysed?
•
Main part:
Your line of argument should move from the general to the specific. Your essay is not about
“opinions” but rather about a hypothesis or assumption that you argue is right or wrong.
•
Conclusion:
The conclusion summarises the main points of your essay. It can refer back to the
introduction. It should demonstrate that you have done what you set out to do at the start of
your essay.
•
References:
All quotations, whether direct or paraphrased, and all special terminology must be
referenced in footnotes.
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•
Bibliography:
The essay must include a list of works cited at the end, naming all works cited or consulted.
Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
Entries should be listed alphabetically according to surname.
Do not present lengthy bibliographies of titles which you have not consulted.
Quotations
•
When quoting from a source for the first time, detailed bibliographical information should
be provided in a footnote.
Example: …as Michael Niehaus notes: “Blablabla..” 1
•
Subsequent quotes from the same source can be footnoted in a much shorter fashion:
Example: Niehaus: Das Buch der wandernden Dinge, p. 25.
Do not use “ibid.” or “op. cit.”
•
Should your quote be shorter than three lines, you “quote by using inverted commas”; 2
should it
be longer than three lines, this quote should be indented. You can use a slightly
smaller type size for your quotes (12 for main text, 10 for footnotes and quotes).
Please note that you do not need inverted commas for indented quotes. This way you
ensure that your quotes do not take up too much space on your page. 3
•
Omissions within quotes must be indicated by […].
•
Please do not use italics for quotes because there may be words in some of your quotes
already that are emphasized through italics.
•
If the original passage was in German, do not quote an English translation!
•
Avoid “second hand” quotes, i.e. quotes from other authors you found in secondary
literature. If you cannot access the original source, it is imperative to provide a footnote
giving the name of the quote’s author and the title of the publication from where the quote
originates. Then you have to reference the text where you found the quote.
Example: Friedrich Nietzsche: Also sprach Zarathustra. Cited in: Ursula Wittmann:
Der Butt und andere Fische. Eine literarische Zoologie. Marburg 204, p. 88.
•
Quotations do not speak for themselves. They should be embedded in your own analysis in
order to strengthen your argument.
1
Michael Niehaus: Das Buch der wandernden Dinge. Vom Ring des Polykrates bis zum entwendeten Brief. München
2009, p. 67.
2
Put in your reference here.
3
Put in your reference here.
2
References
All sources must be acknowledged in footnotes! Please note that if you do not acknowledge the
sources you have used, this is considered to be plagiarism.
You have to provide references for all direct quotes, but also when you paraphrase ideas that are not
your own. Footnotes referencing paraphrased or summarised ideas begin with the word “See”. 4
References in the footnotes must have the following form (please note: in the bibliography
publications have to be listed in the same form. The only difference is that surnames come first):
Books
Michael Niehaus: Das Buch der wandernden Dinge. Vom Ring des Polykrates bis zum entwendeten
Brief. München 2009, p. 67.
Kurt Rothmann: Johann Wolfgang Goethe. Die Leiden des jungen Werther: Erläuterungen und
Dokumente. Stuttgart 2000, p. 765-67.
Book chapter
Peter Pütz: Werthers Leiden an der Literatur. In: Goethe’s Narrative Fiction. Ed. by William J.
Lillyman. Berlin, New York 1983, p. 55-68, here p. 57.
Article in a Periodical/ Journal
Thomas P. Saine: Passion and Aggression. The Meaning of Werthers Last Letter. In: Orbis
Litterarum 35 (1980), p. 327-356, here p. 344.
Internet sources
If possible, the name of the author and the title of the text should be provided, followed by the URL
address of the website. The date when it was accessed must also be provided.
Example: Gerd Wunderlich: Im Schlaf sprechende Papageien. Studien zur neueren brasilianischen
Literatur. <http://www.literaturkritik.de/public/rezension.php?rez_id=7670> [accessed 15
September 2008].
Illustrations
If you include visual material in your essay, remember to reference it also!
Plagiarism
Plagiarism disqualifies! All quotations, whether verbatim or paraphrased, must be acknowledged,
with appropriate references in footnotes.
4
See Helmut Weizenkeim: Das Komma in Goethes Faust. Berlin 2015, p. 334-335.
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In conversation you should be able to support what you have written about in the essay. Therefore,
do not refer to literary texts which you have not read, do not drop names or use terminology that
you do not really understand.
Be sure to read the university guidelines concerning plagiarism:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/exams/Plagiarism.html.
Common Pitfalls
Experience shows that the most common weaknesses in essays are:
•
an unclear structure
•
the argumentation remains at a superficial level – a detailed engagement with the text is
lacking
•
a lack of acquaintance with the primary German texts being discussed
•
an over-dependence on secondary sources. Originality is encouraged! Have confidence in
your own analysis
•
dishonest use (plagiarism) of sources – this will result in a total fail
•
a lack of attention to spelling and punctuation – in English and in German (please use
Umlaute!)
•
shoddy presentation.
Avoid use of the personal pronoun “I” and phrases such as “in my opinion”; aim for an objective
tone.
The final manuscript should have no spelling or typing errors. Have your manuscript proof-read by
someone else before submitting the final version, but remember it is your responsibility to proofread it as well.
Pay particular attention to German quotations. Avoid German quotations that clash syntactically
with the English context.
Extended Essay (GR338)
The extended essay is part of the Final BA module GR338. The aim of the extended essay is to
demonstrate that you have thoroughly familiarized yourself with an aspect of German, Austrian or
Swiss cultural life/history and can present it well in both written and oral form.
Possible topics
You may write on any topic in the area of German language and culture or in any other area that
falls within the scope of German Studies. It can relate to linguistic, literary, cultural, social or
political matters.
Please discuss your choice of topic with, and have it approved by, a member of staff at an early
stage, if necessary by phone or email. The history of a single German town or city is not acceptable
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as a topic, nor is any theme which has already been treated in First or Second Year or is to be
treated in Final Year at NUI Galway. It is permissible to base your essay on material gathered in
seminars and lectures while abroad in Germany. However, do not rewrite or resubmit an essay for
which you have already been awarded a Schein.
The best recipe for success in writing the extended essay is to become interested and absorbed in
your topic and to enjoy working on it. Good extended essays can form the basis of an M.A.
dissertation.
Language
The essay can be written in German or in English.
Length
The essay should have a length of about 4000 words.
Stages of work
1. Decide upon your topic as soon as possible and discuss it with the member of staff who is your
contact person.
2. Once your lecturer has approved your topic, write a proposal (not less than 400 words) and
submit it to Geraldine Smyth (geraldine.smyth@nuigalway.ie). Please see the course descriptions
for the submission deadline. The proposal must include a provisional bibliography including at
least five sources which are not webpages. Three of these sources should be written in German. In
order to decide whether or not these sources are relevant for the topic, you have to read them (!)
before you add them to the bibliography.
3. Once your proposal has been approved, you will be assigned a staff-member who will be your
supervisor. He or she will contact you about your topic and advise you on it.
4. Collect material and work out a first draft of the essay. Keep in contact with your supervisor to
ensure that you are proceeding correctly. You are strongly encouraged to discuss any questions that
arise with your supervisor.
5. Reread your essay before submitting it. Your essay-supervisor is not your proof-reader but rather
an advisor on subject matter and essay structure. Please factor in sufficient time to solve last-minute
computer problems.
6. Please submit two copies of your essay to Geraldine Smyth, room AM 306. Please consult the
course description for the submission deadline.
Marks will be deducted for late submissions: 5% for the first week of delay and a further 2% for
every additional day.
Viva
A viva will be held approximately one or two weeks after the submission deadline. The viva
accounts for 20% of the total mark. It will be approximately twenty minutes long and will be held in
the language in which you have written the essay.
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